For an adult, new hunter: Tikka T3 in either 270Win or 7mm-08. The Tikka will provide good accuracy out of the box. Those cartridges will provide recoil appropriate for a physically mature, but new, shooter, and will be good for deer, antelope, and elk to reasonable ranges.
If the guy gets more serious about hunting, and wants to be shooting animals at longer ranges, or wants a dedicated elk rifle, then he can upgrade to a more potent caliber such as the 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag.
